The present invention relates to a vehicular turn-indicator system which facilitates the stopping of an operation lever and a bracket at a neutral position when the operation lever and the bracket are returned to the neutral position from a left- or right-turn indicating position.
A related vehicular turn-indicator system is constructed as below. A turn direction indicating operation lever is designed to be operated to rotate together with a bracket about a neutral position between a left-turn indicating position and a right-turn indicating position relative to a case. An excess movement restricting surface of an excess movement restricting mechanism is provided on the case side. The excess movement restricting surface has a neutral position root portion which is positioned between two sloping surfaces and a left-turn indicating position holding portion and a right-turn indicating position holding portion which are positioned on sides of the neutral position root portion. An excess movement restricting piece, which is biased to the excess movement restricting surface side by a spring, is provided at a distal end portion of the bracket in such a manner as to move in an axial direction, and the excess movement restricting piece is adapted to move on the excess movement restricting surface as the operation lever is operated to rotate. The excess movement restricting mechanism of the bracket is made up of the excess movement restricting surface, the excess movement restricting piece and the spring.
In this case, the bracket and hence the operation lever are selectively held at the neutral position, the left-turn indicating position and the right-turn indicating position as the excess movement restricting piece is selectively held at the neutral position root portion, the left-turn indicating position holding portion and the right-turn indicating position holding portion on the excess movement restricting surface. Then, a cancel mechanism is provided for imparting the bracket an operating force acting in a direction to return the bracket to the neutral position as a steering wheel is operated in an opposite direction to a direction indicated by the bracket which is positioned at the left-turn indicating position or the right-turn indicating position.
In the vehicular turn-indicator system that is constructed as has been described above, in the event that an attempt is made to reduce the operating force for operating the operation lever with a view to improving the operation feeling of the operation lever, the momentum gained by the operating lever and the bracket when they are returned from the left-turn indicating position or the right-turn indicating position to the neutral position is so strong that the excess movement restricting piece of the excess movement restricting mechanism is caused to pass through the neutral position root portion to reach the vicinity of a ridge portion located on an opposite side to the left-turn indicating position or the right-turn indicating position where they were located before, whereby there may be caused a risk that an opposite side turn switch is switched on to turn on an opposite side turn signal lamp.
With a view to dealing with the problem like this, a patent document 1 discloses a vehicular turn-indicator system in which an angled projecting portion is provided so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the neutral position root portion at a bottom portion within the case, so that the excess movement restricting piece at the distal end portion of the bracket comes to abut with a sloping surface of the projecting portion when the bracket is returned from the left-turn indicating position or the right-turn indicating position to the neutral position, whereby the momentum of the bracket and the operation lever is weakened, thereby attempting to facilitate the stopping of the operation lever and the bracket at the neutral position.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2003-25908
In the vehicular turn-indicator system disclosed in the patent document 1, however, there exists a problem that imparting a proper gradient to the sloping surfaces of the projecting portion with which the excess movement restricting pieces is brought into abutment. Namely, in the event that the gradient of the sloping surfaces of the projecting portion is too steep, the bracket is made difficult to return to the neutral position, and on the contrary, in the event that the gradient is too moderate or less steep, the effect of facilitating the stopping of the bracket at the neutral position is reduced.